Legends of the Shadowhunters
by kolorfulk
Summary: When Clarissa Fairchild is kidnapped by the infamous Shadowhunters, she does not expect to live much longer. Soon she realizes that there is much more to the legends about the Shadowhunters and demons than she believed. Whisked away on the adventure she had always dreamed about, Clarissa discovers what true heroism is and learns more about her mysterious world than she expected.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

The "true" stories about demons had been told for decades. As far as Clarissa Fairchild, otherwise known as Clary, knew, her mother's parents had warned her mother about demons, and her parents' parents had warned them, and their parents' parents had warned them and so on. Every year in the two months before winter—October and November—the legend says that the demons come out on every Monday of each week and don't leave until Wednesday. Experiences of utter terror and pain had always been told of people who didn't hide on the days of _diebus daemonium horror_.

No one really knows when it started, and people say that it will probably never end. Many homes have been ravaged and many people have been killed. Some people believe that it is God's way of making sure humans follow his path; others ruminate that it is a way of punishment. Either way the tales of the demons are becoming more and more pressing and insistent.

That's not what this is about, though. While the demons are very important to this story, they aren't the actual story itself. Clary never believed in the demons. She had always been very suspicious of conspiracies. She was a reader and a painter. She looked past the stories and words and delved into a different world, one that wasn't so black and white. Although she didn't believe in the demons, she still hid in the room her mother had made just for _diebus daemonium horror_ every Monday through Wednesday until winter came.

This year it seemed different. People were hiding out sooner. Instead of being scared to go out in just October and November, the people barely went out in September. Clary never thought much of it—just something else to take control of the town of Idris. Jocelyn, Clary's mother began shoving Clary into what they called the safe room in mid-September.

It was October now, and Clary would spend more than half of every week in the safe room. She wasn't used to not going out this much, and she was suffering from not seeing two of her closest friends in town. William Herondale and James Carstairs, better known as Will and Jem, had been her best friends since Clary was a little girl. The three of them always managed to get into some type of trouble, and, even though Jem always tried to be the voice of reason, always got caught too.

Everyone in town loved the three of them, though. All of their families were from the poorer part of town, but they managed to survive because the middle and upper classes always would bring their families food and things that each family was sorely lacking. But, of course, the three friends had more in common than their financial standings. Each one had lost someone dear to him and her, and in Jem's and Clary's case, they lost _two_ people dear to them. Jem had lost both of his parents to the demons when he was really young, and Clary lost her father under the same conditions before she was even a year old. Will's sister Ella was killed just five years before now, but her case was different. She was stabbed during _diebus daemonium horror_ —a mystery that had never been solved. Clary's brother Jonathan disappeared just two years after that, which was probably the reason Clary's mother had become so protective.

The demons weren't the only things that haunted Idris, though. Men would ransack the town and kidnap young girls and boys. Clary had assumed that was what took her brother; she also assumed one of the men were the ones responsible for Ella's death. Knowing Ella's attitude, she probably resisted, and that never went over well with these men. Clary hated these men more than anything. They were known as Shadowhunters, and she was especially scared of her chances of disappearing along with many others because of them.

It was Friday in the middle of October, and Clary was helping her mother in the kitchen of their small house. Jocelyn Fairchild was a tall, lean woman with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes. She seemed frail, but Clary knew she was otherwise. There were many times that Clary had almost been taken, but Jocelyn refused to lose her only daughter. Jocelyn worked hard for what they had, but it never seemed to be enough because bartering with the people in town was usually impossible.

Clary resembled her mother so much that sometimes she was mistaken for her mother in town. Her own fiery red hair was slightly curlier than her mother's, which was always styled naturally in soft waves. Their green eyes were identical, and although Clary was more than a few inches shorter than her mother, their similarities were too noticeable to ignore.

"Honey," Jocelyn started as she cut a potato into small cubes. Clary looked up from adding spices in a pot on their makeshift stove. When Jocelyn realized she had Clary's attention, she continued, "We're almost out of carrots. Would you like to run to the market and pick up some more? I know you haven't seen Will or Jem since the other week…"

Clary dropped the spoon she was holding on the counter and had her apron ripped off before her mother could finish talking. She smiled gratefully at Jocelyn, mentally thanking her for the opportunity to see Will and Jem. Clary truly missed Will and Jem now more than ever. When they were younger they were inseparable, and with the changes that the new _diebus daemonium horror_ had brought on the town, Clary felt like she was missing a piece of herself. They had met when they were only four and five years old. Now, Clary was sixteen—almost seventeen, she constantly reminded her mother of the fact—and the boys were both seventeen. Their relationship hadn't changed any, but Clary felt like the distance between them was a bad omen, and she hated the feeling she had when she wasn't around them.

"Thanks Mom! I have some copper in my room that I could trade for a few carrots. I promise I won't be long!" She rushed a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and ran to her room to slip on some shoes and grab the copper. She waved to Jocelyn before dashing out the door, not shutting it behind her so her mother could catch a draft in the overheated kitchen.

Clary took her time walking through the town. It had been awhile since Jocelyn had let her leave the house alone, and Clary made sure to bask in the glory because she knew by Sunday that she'd be locked in the tiny room her mother thought would keep her safe. As she walked, she didn't speak to anyone; instead, she just watched them, analyzing the way everyone still seemed to be on edge even though it was Friday. The town didn't look too great—trash and broken glass littered the cobblestone streets and a few houses that seemed perfectly fine just months ago were crumbling down.

For once, Clary began to doubt her theories on the demons, and for a quick, fleeting moment, she almost believed that maybe there were demons. "Clarissa, you shouldn't be out." A voice whispered from a dark alleyway. Clary didn't react, knowing fully well that it was just Madame Dorothea, a pretend psychic that many people in the town avoided like the plague because they actually believed her predictions. Clary was sadly, and not surprisingly, not a believer, but she tried not to seem too rude to the old lady who always tried to pull Clary into her dark alleyway any time she was out.

"Hey, Madame Dorothea," Clary greeted awkwardly, remaining in the sunlight and away from the mouth of the alley.

"Don't sound so happy to see me, dear." Madame Dorothea whispered huskily, watching Clary slide away from her. Her badger-striped hair fell around her head, framing her face, instead of in her usual messy bun. The gold chains she wore around her wrists and throat clinked together and made soft tingling sounds when she moved.

"I'm sorry. I'm just in a rush." Clary apologized quickly, afraid that Madame Dorothea would approach her mother. Clary would never hear the end of that one. She almost giggled at the image painted in her mind of that scene, but she held the ridiculous idea back when she noticed Madame Dorothea grow disarmingly still.

Mechanically, she stood up, not bothering to push the skirts of her dress away from the ground. She dragged slowly towards Clary, her eyes strangely empty. Clary backed away but not before Madame Dorothea encircled Clary's wrist in a vice-like grip. Clary struggled for a moment, but she froze in panic when she met eyes with the old woman before her.

"I said you shouldn't be out, Clarissa Fairchild. You're in danger." Her voice was hollow-sounding as she stared at Clary for a brief moment, and Clary hoped dearly that it was over, but Madame Dorothea opened her mouth again. "Tonight is your last night here. Better say your goodbyes."

Then her eyes unclouded and she released Clary instantly. She covered her eyes from the brightness of the sun and glanced around her swiftly. "I'm afraid I just blacked out for a moment there… Are you all right, dear?"

Clary's eyes seemed to widen more in fear when she realized that Madame Dorothea was being serious. For once, she wasn't playing psychic, and that frightened Clary more than any of the stories of demons and Shadowhunters ever had.

"Yeah, I, uh, I need t-to go!" Clary stuttered out before spinning around and running towards Will's and Jem's house.

When she finally made it over to Will's and Jem's side of town, she had to rest her hands on her knees. Her breaths came out quick and short, not allowing enough oxygen to flow into her body. She had never been afraid of Madame Dorothea's predictions because they had never come true, but in that moment, with Madame Dorothea's hand wrapped around Clary's wrist, Madame Dorothea seemed like a completely different person. Clary shuddered as her words ran through her mind again. _Tonight is your last night here._ She was beginning to see black dots in the field of her vision when a voice broke through her thoughts.

"Clary?" Under normal circumstances, the voice would've instantly comforted her, but she felt like she might possibly be going insane.

She spun around and leaped towards Jem, holding onto him for dear life. Jem was probably a good foot taller than her, give or take a couple inches. His silky, silver hair framed his slim face with an innocent perfection. His silver eyes watched her carefully, but they were full of compassion and love for the small girl wrapped around him. The two were like siblings, even more so after Jonathan had disappeared. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and guided the two of them towards the bench in the small garden by his and Will's house.

His lean frame wasn't the most threatening whenever it came down to a fight, but Clary took great comfort in the safety he brought her. She leaned into his body as they sat down. She didn't realize she was shaking with sobs until the tears began to fall on her lap, and she was surprised to find them there. She hadn't cried since Jonathan had disappeared, but for once she was absolutely terrified. Things in the town had become too peculiar for even Clary to ignore.

"What's wrong with her?" Clary wasn't surprised at the harshness of the voice from behind Jem and herself, but she knew not to be offended. That was Will's only was to show affection: his crassness was never wasted on a nobody.

She and Jem turned to meet Will's tumultuous blue eyes, and Clary stopped short. She always had to catch her breath when she looked at Will. Will was devastatingly handsome in a way to which no other boy in town could possibly ever amount. His dark brown hair that seemed almost black curled around his temples, ears, and neck, caressing the surface the way many girls their age would like to. He had high cheekbones that were highlighted by his long eyelashes. He was more muscular than Jem but not in a way that made Jem look tiny. Will was the same height as Jem which consequently made Clary feel like an elf every time she was with the boys.

Jem jostled Clary by nudging her shoulder, and she realized that the two boys were waiting for her to explain what was wrong. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her old dress and launched into the story about what had just happened with Madame Dorothea. She knew they would probably laugh it off, just like Clary would've in the past, but they didn't see the way Madame Dorothea looked at Clary in that moment. "And then she said, 'Tonight is your last night here. Better say your goodbyes.'" Clary whimpered the last words. Her tears had cleared and all that was left was a dull ache in her head and neck.

Both of their reactions were exactly what she expected them to be. Will laughed loudly, resting one of his hands against the tree next to the bench Jem and she sat on. Jem squeezed her hand sympathetically before shooting Will a glare. Will instantly stopped laughing, but a smile still graced his lips. "Clary, she's not even a real psychic." Will said softly as he joined Jem and Clary on the bench.

"I know that!" Clary exclaimed as she stood up. She paced in front of the boys in agitation, and their eyes followed her as she looked away from them. "This time it was different. She didn't even look like herself, and then she didn't even remember what had happened. She said she blacked out!"

"You seriously cannot believe that!" Will chuckled as he shook his head. "There's no way she could predict something like that. She can't even predict her next meal… how could she predict your death?" He was grinning ruefully at Clary, enjoying the way her face was growing continuously redder by the second.

"Of course you wouldn't take this seriously. You don't take anything seriously." Clary retorted bitingly.

Will sobered up quickly. No trace of a smile or laugh was left on his face. Jem knew all too well what was coming next. Clary and Will were so ridiculously tormented by their feelings for each other that their relationship was literally a mess. They would be inseparable one minute and in the next they would be fighting just to draw blood. Jem waited patiently for the storm to pass.

"You're so immature. What happened to not believing in this stuff?"

"Take a look around you, William. This is nothing like what it used to be. Even if it isn't the demons or whatever, it is something! Something is happening in Idris, and now I have a death omen hanging over my head. How am I supposed to just ignore that?!"

Will opened his mouth to reply, but instead of his voice, a shrill shriek was heard from a few houses over. Clary jerked in fear as Jem and Will both shot up from their seats on the bench. They watched as a young woman ran down the cobblestone street, her dress ragged and torn and blood trailing from her arms.

"What happened?" Will shouted towards her, not really expecting a response.

The woman paused and stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "The Shadowhunters… they're here again." She spoke evenly, but it was obvious she was scared. "They're after something. You need to hide." Then she turned and continued to run down the street.

Clary could hear it now… more screams sounded in the distance, the crackle of a fire burning, and gunshots. "Will—" she breathed in fear.

"Don't say it. Come on!" Will's face was determined as he grabbed Clary's hand, and the three of them took off towards Clary's house. Her mother's safe room was the safest place for all of them, but the distance they had to cover seemed alarmingly impossible. Clary let out an involuntary cry at the thought. Will stilled at the sound of Clary's whimper. He grabbed her face in his hands and whispered fiercely, "Listen to me… you are going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you. We're going to hide at your house and this will all pass."

"But, Will—" Clary started, flinching from the sound of a building crumbling to the ground. The whole town was in chaos around them.

"Guys, we don't have time for this." Jem muttered uneasily. Another scream erupted from just a few streets down.

Will didn't say anything as he took Clary's hand again. The three of them wound through the streets of Idris, avoiding all signs of destruction in hopes of not running into any Shadowhunters. They hid behind a barn a couple of streets away from Clary's house when they saw a group of Shadowhunters searching a house. Clary whipped her head towards the house when she heard another scream. She watched as two men pulled a girl out of the house. They were taking her with them.

"When they pass the barn, we take off towards Clary's house, okay? No more detours. The longer we take to get there, the more chances there are of one of us getting hurt." Will whispered it to Jem and Clary as he watched the dark-haired girl struggle against the Shadowhunters. Instantly, he thought of Ella, who probably fought just like this girl currently was fighting against them. She spat insults at the men and cursed at them with such a vehemence, Will wondered if they would just kill her right there, but they continued to drag her past the building towards the shore where their ship was probably waiting for them.

When they were far enough away, Will decided it was safe for them to run. He took off running, and he could hear Clary and Jem right on his heels. The sounds of gunshots filled the air, and Will fought the urge to duck every time another shot was fired. They would make it to Clary's house, and everything would be fine. He didn't want to admit that Madame Dorothea's prediction scared him too, and the sooner they were locked inside a house, the better.

Before they could cross another street, the bakery on the corner crumbled and blocked the street that led directly to Clary's house. Clary gasped and stopped running immediately as she watched more people run past the trio. Jem leaned against the building, gripping his side. "Are you okay, Jem?" She noticed him wince when he applied pressure to his side, and instantly realization dawned on her. "Were you shot?" Gently, she pulled his hand away from his side, and sure enough, blood was welling through his white shirt.

"I'm fine." Jem batted her hand away and tried to stand up straight. He instantly paled and slumped back against the building.

"Will…" Clary breathed softly as she helped Jem stand straight.

Will spun around, eyes wide and hands in his hair. His eyes flickered to Clary and Jem and then back to Clary. "Damn. Damn. Damn." he mumbled the words and continued to muss his hair in agitation.

"I'm fine," Jem choked out as he leaned against Clary instead of the wall. "Let's just get to Clary's house. Her mom can help." His voice sounded watery, and Clary began to tear up as he pulled the two of them next to Will.

"How are we going to get to my house?" Clary asked as she eyed the crumbled foundation of the bakery.

"We'll have to pick our way past it. It's the only clear shot to your house." Will answered immediately.

Together the three of them dashed across the street and began looking for a place to crawl through. Will picked up multiple pieces of burnt wood and threw them behind him with ease, making a path for them to climb over. Then Jem began to mutter something. Clary heard him repeat her name over and over again. She turned to face him and followed the line of sight his eyes were trained on, and then she froze. Two Shadowhunters were staring at the three of them eagerly. They were both dressed in all black with only their hands, neck, and bottom of their faces showing. They each wore a mask that covered half of their faces.

Slowly, the two Shadowhunters began to make their way towards the trio. Clary spun back around and grabbed Will in fear. "Shadowhunters are coming this way."

Will stopped his progress with the wood and faced Clary, fear apparent on his face. He swallowed thickly, and Clary watched how his throat bobbed with the action. "Jem and I are going to hold them off. I've managed to get a small trail made for you. Go straight to your house and hide."

"Will!" Clary gasped as she gripped his sleeve. "I can't leave you two! Come with me."

"We can't. Jem will slow us down, and we'll be easier to track with all three of us. At least this way, you can make it to your house without being caught." Will glanced back at the Shadowhunters who were closing the distance between them.

Clary began to cry. "What's the point? Today is my last day here! Madame Dorothea was right."

Will pulled her into his chest and brushed the hair away from her face. "Not if Jem and I have anything to do about it. Now, hurry and run home. Jem and I will be there soon." Will pushed Clary towards the small path he had created. Clary turned around and gazed at Will, who had turned to face the Shadowhunters. His frame was lit by the slow dimming of the sun as it met the horizon.

She realized with a deep pang of sadness that this was probably the last time she would see her best friends. Madame Dorothea had made her first correct prediction, and she didn't even know it. Clary reached out and grabbed Will's wrist. He spun around in surprise, but she didn't wait for him to yell at her. She kissed his cheek quickly and muttered, "I love you. Tell Jem I love him too."

Then she spun around and began to climb through the wood and away from her two closest friends.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Clary made it to her house easily. There were no Shadowhunters on her street, but she still locked the door behind her and slid the table in the kitchen in front of the door. "Mom!" she called out as she ran through the house. "Mom, the Shadowhunters are back! Mom!" Clary became increasingly hysterical when she realized her mother wasn't in any of the rooms in the house.

That left only one room her mother could be in, so she ran towards the cellar in the house and yanked the door open. The room was dark _and_ empty. Jocelyn Fairchild was gone. Clary let out a short sob, but she quickly went still when she heard the door in the kitchen being beaten down. Clary was right. The men were after her.

She climbed into the cellar and shut the trap door behind her. She didn't bother to turn on the light, knowing that the light would draw attention to the room. She climbed farther into the room and curled into the corner, listening as the door burst open with a loud crash. There was a string of curses and then footsteps throughout the house. After a while, the footsteps centered themselves back into the kitchen. "She has to be here. I heard him tell her to come here." A voice said, annoyance seeping into his tone.

"She is here. I can smell her…" The second voice responded. A pair of footsteps echoed as one of the Shadowhunters walked.

"Well sniff her out! Captain only gave us a certain amount of time to retrieve her." The first voice snapped with an undercurrent of worry in his tone.

Clary could hear someone huff and continue to walk. The footsteps made their way above the cellar, and Clary held her breath in anticipation. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it would burst out of her chest. A short bark of laughter floated down from above her, and the cellar door ripped open. She cowered farther into the corner, hoping it was too dark for them to see her.

"Is she in here? I don't see her." Clary wanted to sigh in relief, but she knew better than to do so.

"Yes, she's in here. I can hear her breathing." Clary held her breath as the two men dropped down into the cellar. It was too dark for her to tell if it was the same Shadowhunters that approached Will, Jem, and herself, but she assumed that it was them. The footsteps began to approach her, and in a last ditch effort, she decided she'd try to fight them.

As she groped around the ground for something to use as a weapon, she didn't realize that they had made it to her. When her hand finally landed on something solid, she was jerked from her spot on the ground, and she lost her grip on the object. "Ah, ah, ah! What do you think you're doing?" The man who had her in his hands asked.

Clary didn't respond. Instead, she just went limp in his hands. She hoped maybe they wouldn't hurt her if she didn't fight back. He set her back on the ground, but grabbed her hands and quickly and expertly tied them with a strong rope. They pulled her out of the cellar and into the ruins in the street. Clary's eyes darted over to where the bakery was tumbled over.

She stopped walking with the men as she stared at the rubble. "Come on." One of the men said gruffly, jerking the rope forward. Clary hissed at the pain that enveloped her wrists when the rope rubbed her wrong. "What happened to Will and Jem?" she asked as she defiantly remained in the same spot.

"You don't get to ask any questions." The man with the rope replied easily as he jerked her wrists again.

Clary planted her feet in the ground and ignored the burst of pain in her wrists. "I demand to know what happened to them. I'm not leaving until I know."

The second man looked over at the man with the rope. "We could just tell her…" His voice seemed oddly sympathetic, and Clary was surprised to hear the delicacy in his voice.

"That's not part of our job!"

"Look, I'll go without a fight if you just tell me. I won't fight you at all. I'll go exactly where you want me to go. I'll do whatever you want me to do… just please tell me what happened to Will and Jem." Clary pleaded, holding her hands up in a weak gesture of peace.

The man with the rope in his hands looked away from her, and then he met her eyes again. His eyes, which were one of the few things Clary could actually see, were a shocking ice blue color, and they were filled with pain. "Okay, fine. We'll tell you as we walk."

So the three of them made their way to the shore and towards the ship, or at least that's where Clary was sure they were heading. The guy with the rope led them, but the other Shadowhunter walked beside Clary and began to speak about Will and Jem. "We just knocked out the dark-haired one and moved him over to the side. He'll be fine, but he'll definitely be a bit sore in the morning. The other one, the one with the silver hair, he was bleeding pretty badly. He was out of it. I checked his wound. The bullet when straight through, and it didn't hit any organs, so he'll be fine too. I put some gauze on him and gave him a sleeping potion. Hopefully the ointment we put on his wound will help the healing. We didn't want to hurt either one of them… I promise."

"Stop talking so much. Captain doesn't want her thinking she knows something coming into this." Blue Eyes pulled the rope tighter, and Clary gasped at the pain, fighting the pinpricks of tears at the corner of her eyes. At least she knew that Will and Jem were both alive and as safe as they could be.

They had arrived at the ship, and Clary stared at the huge boat in pure fright. She watched as other Shadowhunters carried trunks, food, and weapons onto the ship. Then she saw a girl fighting with two Shadowhunters as they tried to wrestle her onto the ramp that led up the boat. It was the same girl Clary, Jem, and Will had seen earlier on the way to Clary's house. The girl seemed angrier now than she had before. She was spitting, kicking, and throwing punches towards the men, and the two Shadowhunters didn't seem to know how to handle her. Clary watched as she managed to land a punch right into one of the men's nose.

Immediately, one of the men raised his hand in the air as if he were about to strike her. "Alec, he's about—" The Shadowhunter who seemed to be nicest said with wide, brown eyes.

"Dammit." Alec growled before he ripped his mask off, revealing a shock of black hair to rival with his ice blue eyes. He dropped the rope he held to keep Clary where she was, and he jogged over to the other men.

Clary briefly toyed with the idea of running, but she figured it'd get her killed quicker than not, so she remained in her spot and watched as Alec yelled at the Shadowhunter who was about to strike the girl. The nicer Shadowhunter seemed to realize that Clary was free, and he leaned down to pick up the rope with deft fingers. He met eyes with Clary and held her gaze. "Why didn't you run?" he asked finally when Clary made no move to drop her stare.

"I figured you'd catch me anyways. I'm not very fast, obviously." She gestured to her short legs, accidentally tugging the rope out of his hands at the gesture. "Sorry," She blushed and picked the rope back up. "I'm not trying to run away, I promise."

"Simon," the Shadowhunter grinned at Clary as she fumbled for words.

"Excuse me?" Clary stopped trying to fiddle with the rope and looked at him quizzically.

"It's my name. I could tell you wanted to know." Simon shrugged and picked the rope back up. He didn't wait for her to answer, but instead, he turned and watched Alec again. Alec had taken control over the girl, and he made his way back over to Clary and Simon easily. The girl seemed so completely drained of energy that even the effort of walking with Alec's support seemed to hurt her.

"Let's get on the damn ship. I swear I hate coming back here more and more every time. Sebastian thinks he gets his lay with every girl he sees." Alec began to lead the dark-haired girl up the ramp that led to the ship, but Clary stood frozen in her spot. Alec's words had drained the heat from her body, leaving Clary cold and scared. She didn't stop to think that what they wanted her for was _that._ Clary never thought of herself as someone who instantly pulled in any males, and the words Alec said reverberated inside her head.

"Come on, Clarissa. We need to get on the ship." Simon pulled her hands gently, trying to lead her onto the ramp, but Clary wouldn't budge.

"No," she whispered, the hysteria climbing inside her throat. "No, you can't… You can't do this to me!" she screamed the words and yanked her hands away from Simon.

"Clarissa, stop that. Calm down." Simon ordered as he attempted to pull her up the ramp.

"I'd rather you kill me! Just kill me. Don't do this!" Clary was sobbing by now, her words muffled by the shudders that wracked her body.

"We're not going to hurt you!" Simon yelped as Clary almost fell to the ground. Alec turned around when he heard the commotion, and he regarded Clary with cool, calculating eyes.

"Just pick her up. We don't have time for this."

So Simon swung her over his shoulder easily and followed Alec quickly onto the ship. The captain wouldn't be very happy with the amount of time it took for them to retrieve Clarissa Fairchild, and he knew if he delayed any longer, he'd be punished. He figured she would fight more once she was positioned on his shoulder, but her body slumped in defeat.

Once Alec and Simon made it onto the deck, they immediately made their way to the sleeping quarters underneath the deck. "We can just leave them in this bunker and lock the door. We weren't ordered to leave them in the cells." Simon suggested as he nodded at one of the few empty bunkers on the ship.

Alec shrugged and pushed the black-haired girl into the room. "Don't try anything funny. I'm sure we'll be back down here to get you two soon, and I'd hate to have to watch the captain allow you to be punished already."

Simon shot Alec a glare as he set Clary down on the floor. "Was that really necessary?"

Before Alec could respond, the black-haired girl stood up on wobbly legs and pointed at Simon in fear. "I know what you are... This can't be real." Her face was pale with fear, and tears began to collect in her wide, brown eyes.

Clary lifted her head up and watched as the girl stepped back and tripped over her feet, falling to the ground. She landed roughly on the ground and continued to stare at Simon.

"What are you talking about?" Alec finally snapped.

"He's a bloodsucker! I've learned about them." Her voice was becoming hysterical. "Get away from me!" She continued to scramble farther backwards into the bunker, and Clary stared at Simon quizzically. There was no way Simon was a vampire. Vampires were myths, and even if Clary believed the myths, vampires supposedly died out years ago. They were used as pawns in one of the great wars, and their kind didn't make it. Simon didn't even resemble what vampires were rumored to look like. Clary read about them in school; they were tested on all the history of the world, and vampires were a large chunk of history in Idris. The books described vampires as horrendously ugly creatures with demon-like faces, talons, and teeth so sharp and long they caused vampires' lips to rip apart. Simon just looked completely human; there was nothing odd about him.

"There's no such thing as vampires—" Clary began, but paused at the way Simon looked.

In that moment, he looked completely taken aback. "How did you know…?" he whispered, his voice slick with despair.

Clary couldn't help but whip her head towards the other girl, waiting for her response. "The usual characteristics couldn't have helped me realize it because you're honestly not that pale, and for some reason you were able to be in sunlight, but I can see it in your eyes. You're not quite human, right?" There was a dark glint in her eyes as she spoke to him as she seemed to lose a bit of the meekness she had when she was tossed in the room. It was obvious she was bothering him, and she was loving the small bit of power she held.

"Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about." Alec slammed the door closed, and the two boys' footsteps echoed softly as they left Clary and the girl alone in the bunker.

Clary used the first couple of minutes of silence to check out the bunker. It was simple enough, holding two beds with one about two feet above the other. A thin, white blanket was folded and laid on the edge of each bed, but there were no pillows. The room was small, leaving hardly any room for movement without bumping into the beds or the walls. Clary tried not to think of what the bathroom situation would be like.

Figuring it would do no good to sit slumped on the floor, Clary stood up and climbed onto the upper bed, pulling the blanket over her body. It wasn't very late, not even close to the time Clary normally went to bed, but she was tired, and the day had worn her down.

"What are you doing?" the other girl asked, watching as Clary situated herself on the uncomfortable bed.

"I'm resting. There's nothing else to do." Clary mumbled as she closed her eyes.

"So you're not going to fight this? You're just going to let them kidnap you and do God knows what else to you?"

"Look," Clary paused, not knowing the girl's name. She peeked at the girl who still lay on the dirty floor. "we're obviously not prisoners in the most practical sense of the word. They gave us a room, we can move around freely, and we're not locked up wherever the cells are. Our best bet right now is to cooperate with them and hope when they get whatever it is they want from us, they'll let us go."

Clary watched as the girl's jaw worked, her teeth grinding together harshly. "Shadowhunters never leave survivors."

"They didn't kill Jem or Will. They actually patched Jem up, so you're wrong."

She stared at Clary with her dark brown eyes. She seemed to be searching for something, but Clary couldn't quite figure out what it was. "What's your name?" she asked finally.

"Clary Fairchild. Yours?"

"Isabelle Lightwood… Didn't you lose your brother to the Shadowhunters?" Apparently Isabelle wasn't too keen on modesty because there was no pause in her question nor was there any embarrassment for the obvious lack of sympathy.

"I don't know. His body wasn't left when he disappeared." Clary looked away from Isabelle, her throat constricting thickly with tears.

"I lost my brother to them too… when I was only five years old. That's why we need to get out of here. We're not ever going back home. There are _no_ survivors."

It was silent again as the two of them avoided each other's eyes. Clary didn't like the pessimistic attitude Isabelle seemed to achieve, and it bothered her that Isabelle automatically assumed they were going to be killed. They wouldn't be in a bunker, if they were going to be killed. Simon wouldn't have saved Will and Jem. Alec wouldn't have stopped the man from hitting Isabelle. There were far too many inconsistencies for this to be a torture and kill scenario.

"What was your brother's name?" Clary finally asked as she stared at the ceiling of the small bunker.

Isabelle sat up quickly, her dress bunching around her legs as she squatted on the floor. "Alexander, but we called him Alec. He hated being called Alexander." She scoffed at what was probably a fond memory of her brother.

Clary stiffened at her response. "Isabelle, I don't think your brother is dead…"

Isabelle, noticing Clary's tense posture, stood up and stared at Clary with eyes filled with anger. "That isn't funny!" she screeched, panic seeming to overtake her.

"No, I'm serious." Clary sat up in the bed and looked down at Isabelle sadly. "The man with Simon, the bloodsucker—" Clary fumbled over the word bloodsucker but continued on, "his name was Alec. I heard Simon call him that."

Isabelle's eyes softened. "There's no way…" she breathed out.

Then the door banged open, revealing the man from earlier that almost hit Isabelle. "Captain wants to see the two of you." he said gruffly. His black hair was wet and stuck to his forehead in a rather ugly-looking way.

"Was that door unlocked the whole time?!" Isabelle asked in surprise.

"Well, yeah. Where could the two of you girls go? We're already out on the sea." he answered matter-of-factly.

"I'm not going with you." Isabelle replied defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Isabelle," Clary hissed, not surprised at the other girl's actions.

"Then who will you go with?" he growled, the annoyance in his tone deathly clear.

"Alec and Simon." she answered immediately. "We're not coming out of this room unless they escort us out. The look on her face was serious and dark.

"What if I just drag the two of you out by your hair instead?"

"I can walk myself!" Clary interjected, shooting Isabelle a glare that could kill a small animal.

"We're not leaving this room with you." Isabelle, sending Clary a pointed look that obviously meant this was one battle Isabelle demanded to win, shot back immediately.

Clary sighed and slid off the top bunk, coming to stand with Isabelle. "We want Alec and Simon."

The man looked surprised, his eyes bouncing from one girl to the other. "Just wait until Captain gets a hold of the two of you. I'd like to see you treat him like this." he muttered as he slammed the door behind him.

"Do you have a death wish?!" Clary exclaimed in exasperation.

"You said it yourself… they're not going to kill us. We're valuable for some reason. We might as well take advantage of it." Isabelle shrugged as she waited by the door. "Do you think the door is still unlocked?" She gripped the handle and shook it vigorously but the door didn't open.

"I'm guessing not." Clary grumbled as she looked away from Isabelle.

Before Isabelle could respond, the doorknob shook and opened to reveal Simon and Alec. Alec looked slightly more annoyed than he had before, and he reached out and yanked Isabelle's arm before dragging her away, growling words at her that Clary couldn't hear. Simon watched them quietly before holding a hand out for Clary to take. Graciously, Clary took his hand and let him guide her towards wherever the captain was.

"Alec is probably giving Isabelle the rundown, but I'll just give you one warning: don't disrespect him. He doesn't like it at all, and he'll have you chained at the very bottom of the ship before you can blink." Simon muttered as they climbed into the sunlight. Clary blinked rapidly, her eyes not prepared for the brightness. "Also, I'm going to have to push you around a bit; the crew expects it. I'm glad you asked for us because Sebastian wouldn't have made this very easy."

"Will the captain not be able to tell that you're not really hurting us?" Clary asked in surprise as she was led to the middle of the ship.

"He knows. He doesn't want you injured. That's the point. Now get ready." Simon mumbled under his breath.

Clary glanced around and realized with a start that the group of four was surrounded on the deck by a huge crowd of men dressed in the signature Shadowhunter black. She just knew that this was a dream. The whole moment was too surreal to be anything else. The sky above the water was too blue and the sea was too calm. The majority of the faces of the men around her were rugged and wind burnt, which surprised Clary because Simon and Alec were so much younger than the older men, and the boys looked like they'd barely spent time helping on deck with the ship.

Suddenly it was silent on the ship, all whispers gone. Simon nudged Clary's back and tapped her head, signaling that he wanted her to look down; she didn't hesitate in doing exactly what he wanted. A quick glance over at Isabelle revealed that Clary's fellow prisoner had her head raised defiantly, meeting the curious eyes of crew members with a harsh glare. She wasn't surprised at Isabelle's actions. Actually, with everything Clary had already learned about Isabelle, she expected Isabelle to do exactly that.

"Is this Clarissa Fairchild? I expected her to be more… never mind. She's not much, is she?" The voice was surprisingly warm and sweet for the words and rudeness that was spoken.

Clary couldn't help her reaction. She snapped her head up expecting to lay eyes on an ugly, old man, but her words of spite died on her lips as soon as she stared back at him.

He was _definitely_ not ugly or old. Annoyingly, the sun that was low on the horizon cast a sort of glow around his form. His golden hair was slightly wavy and hung down to his eyes which were only a shade darker than his hair. His amber eyes continued to rest on Clary, and they were full of an almost teasing and playful glint, so it seemed as if he were waiting on her to overreact in some way. His skin, which was tanned, was completely unblemished except for scars scattered around randomly and dark, spiraling tattoos everywhere. Clary couldn't take her eyes off the tattoo that rested at the hollow of his throat.

Finally, his eyes shifted away from Clary and met Simon's with a cool, calculated nod. "I thought I said to bring her back uninjured. She's covered in blood."

Clary glanced down at her clothes and was momentarily taken aback by the amount of blood that coated her dress and arms. "It's not my blood," she blurted. "It's someone else's." _Jem's._ Clary spoke before Simon was able to reply, and she heard Simon suck in a breath quickly.

The man analyzed her for a moment and flashed a quick, heart-stopping smile. "What about that gash on your arm, then?"

Clary glanced down at her arm and stared at the long, deep gash. The blood and dirt that coated her arm had half-hidden it, and Clary was surprised at the instant pain that prickled at her realization of the injury. "I—It must have been from when I was climbing over a destroyed building."

"Someone fetch the warlock. We need to heal her arm." The man ordered to the circle. Clary saw one of the Shadowhunters at the outer edge of the group turn around and disappear.

"Warlock?" Clary let out a breathy laugh. "There's no such thing as warlocks."

The man tilted his head down to stare at Clary. She realized with a start that he was much taller than she, probably even the same height as Will. "Do you really not believe in what is right in front of you? What about the vampire behind you? Or even the demons that have destroyed your town?" he spoke slowly, with a deliberate finesse tacked on to every word.

Clary ignored what he said about the vampire. "Last time I checked, it was you and your crew destroying Idris. I've never seen a demon shoot a man in the back."

He laughed softly and tapped Clary on the nose with a long, slim finger. "That is because you've always been hidden away in that cellar of yours. I've seen loads of demons in my lifetime… and I've had to kill them all. I wouldn't expect you to believe in something you've never been forced to face."

"Captain?" Throughout Clary's and the captain's exchange, a small path had been made for another man to join in the center of the group. Clary stared at him in surprise. She had never seen a man dressed the way he was dressed. He wore tight, leather pants, a white shirt, and his hair was spiked and covered in colorful glitter.

"Ah, yes, Magnus. I need you to heal the cut on her arm. We'd hate to see her catch infection." The captain gestured towards Clary's arm with a flourish of his hand.

Magnus grumbled something under his breath that sounded something along the lines of many obscene insults, many of which Clary deeply appreciated. "Why don't you just use and _iratze_ on her. Isn't that what she's here for?"

"Don't question me. We are not ready for that yet. Just heal her arm."

Magnus muttered something again and reached for her arm. "This might sting for a moment, but it'll be all right."He met Clary's eyes with his own. Clary's pulse jumped as she stared back into his eyes. His green, slitted orbs, like a feline's, broke away first. He placed both hands over the deep cut and with a light squeeze, a bright green haze seeped out of his hands and encased Clary's arm. There was a slight stinging sensation, and then Magnus pulled his hands away. "Ta-da! My job is done. Please don't interrupt me again for something as trivial as a light scratch." Then with a wave of his hand, he turned back around and left the deck.

Clary stared in shock at her now unblemished arm. "What—"

"So Clarissa Fairchild," the captain held out his hands, gesturing wildly around himself, and smiled manically at her. He waited a moment, allowing Clary to twitch uneasily as she gazed back at Simon. "Do you believe in the Downworld now?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Will woke up to an ache that started at his temples and ended at the bruises covering the bottom of his legs. As he pulled himself from the ground, his head throbbed dully and he felt as if he would hurl. "Ugh," he groaned and dry heaved over a pile of splintered wood that resembled the old bakery's store sign.

"What on earth happened, William?" Jem murmured from behind him. Will turned around and took in the scene around him. Jem was leaning against the half crumbled wall, his arm wrapped around his side. Will zeroed in on the foreign bandage wrapped around Jem's waist. Jem glanced down at the bandage as well. "I don't know where this came from, but I guess I'm lucky I have it, huh?"

"What on earth happened is a very good question, James. I fear I may have a concussion. Do you remember if the Shadowhunters knocked me out?" Will ignored the sentiment about Jem's injury; Will never liked to acknowledge Jem's health.

Jem chuckled and pulled himself off the ground. His face instantly paled, and he leaned against the building for support. Will was on his feet in a matter of seconds, ignoring the nausea that roiled against his actions. "James," Will reached for Jem with a gasp, but Jem pushed his hand away.

"I'm fine! I was just a little light-headed. No need for worry. What we do need to worry about is Clary." Jem patted Will on the back and began to trek his way across the debris toward Clary's house. Will ignored the stab of fear in his heart for his two friends and followed Jem through the mess.

When they approached the door of Clary's house, Will could immediately feel that something wasn't quite right. Before pushing the door opened, he recognized the mark of boot prints on the door. Someone had kicked in the door. "James…"

"I know, William." With that, he pushed the door opened slowly. There was an eerie calm that settled in the house. Nothing was truly disturbed. There was no broken glass or tipped over furniture. Will and Jem treaded through the house, searching for any sign of the lost redhead. Will made it to the cellar first, and he knew instantly that she was gone. The door was left open, and Clary's mother never left that door open.

"This is all my fault." Will moaned as he covered his face with his hands. He backed away from the cellar door and bumped into the wall. He could feel the air around him thicken, and he felt like he was going to suffocate. "What if she's dead? I should have listened to her. Oh, no. Oh, no." He began to mumble to himself, and Jem recognized the trance Will was beginning to put himself into.

Jem thumped him on the head and grabbed his arms. "Hey, get a grip! There's no blood. No evidence of a struggle. She could've decided to hide somewhere else. We have no reason to believe she's hurt." Then Jem hopped into the cellar and took in the surroundings. No food was missing, and the only thing that was out of place was the broom in the corner of the room. It was lying on the ground. Nothing truly out of the ordinary at all.

When Jem climbed back out of the cellar, Will seemed to have returned to sanity. "Well where do we look? Her mom's not here either."

Then the noise of the door whipping open from the kitchen echoed throughout the house. Will and Jem met eyes and at the same time shouted, "Clary?!" They jogged to the front of the house but were met with disappointment when they were greeted by the sight of a rather disheveled Jocelyn.

"Wha –" Will began, the disappointment etched in the lines of his face.

Jem shot Will a sour look and grabbed a chair to drop in front of Jocelyn. "Miss. Fairchild, are you okay? Sit down." He helped her in the chair and filled a glass of water for her. Once he handed her the glass, he stepped away from her and began to analyze the kitchen again. There was no sign of a struggle. Did Clary go willingly? Or did they knock her out? Jem tried to put the pieces of her disappearance together, but it was like a mad libs story. Nothing made sense.

Jocelyn took a sip of her water, and then in a fit of rage, threw it against the wall. Will and Jem both jumped and stared at the mess of glass on the floor. Jocelyn had always been the calm one. While Clary was the one who ran into things headfirst, not thinking of the consequences, Jocelyn was the deliberate one. She always had a plan. Will and Jem were not sure what to think of her actions.

"They took her. Tied her up and marched her on the ship. She's gone." Jocelyn said hoarsely. Her lips quivered, and she dipped her head down, face in her hands. "This is all my fault. I thought she would be safe. I took the necessary precautions. I dealt with the problems! Who even attacked today?" She seemed to be muttering to herself, lost in the recesses of her mind.

"It was the Shadowhunters, Miss. Fairchild. They attacked the city again. We tried to get her back here, but we got ambushed. Will has a bloody concussion because he got knocked out." Jem responded, gesturing to Will. Will frowned at Jem. He didn't like the fact that he had lost a fight. He didn't even remember getting hit hard enough to be knocked out. These Shadowhunters had some strength.

"But they just attacked! They don't come back this quickly. I don't understand…" she murmured as she rubbed her face. "Look, all this talking won't get her back." Jocelyn stood up from the chair and walked back to her room. Will and Jem followed her as she opened her closet door and pushed the clothes aside. "I'll just have to go get her back." She started pulling weapons out of a trunk. Daggers, spears, and a weird stick-like thing that looked like a wand were piled up next to her.

"Where did you get these things?" Will spluttered, toeing the ever growing pile of assorted weapons.

Jocelyn shot him a look, and for a moment, she didn't look like the scared mother Will had grown to know. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm going to get Clary back." She pulled out a pair of black pants and a black jacket. Will picked up one weapon, its dull surface not reflecting any light. The tip of it wasn't pointed like a sword. In fact, it was very blunt.

"And you're going to use this to do that?" Will scoffed, ignoring the look Jem shot him. "Look, Miss. Fairchild, I get that you wanna save Clary, but how are you even going to go after her? You said it yourself… she was taken on a boat. There's no way to know which direction they went, and not to be disrespectful, but you are not fit for the seas, nor should you be fighting anyone. Clary would be devastated if you got hurt, or worse, killed, coming after her."

Jocelyn glared at him for a moment, and then she dropped her gaze. "I know, but who else will go? This town is scared. Anyone we lose here is considered dead. No one will help me."

"We will! Clary _needs_ us. But you need to stay here because Clary is clever, and she could find her way back. If you're not here, how will she know you're okay? Jem and I will get her back."

"You don't know what's out there, William. You don't know what you are up against." Jocelyn sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Well then tell us. We can handle whatever. Right, Jem?" Will looked over at Jem, who nodded back at him.

"Right." Jem picked up one of the other items in the pile. It was a long, twig-like item.

"You might wanna hold on to that…" Jocelyn muttered as she pulled a green book out of the trunk.

* * *

"The door is unlocked. I guess we're free to wander." Isabelle said, mostly to herself. Clary glanced away from her newly healed arm and at Isabelle's open face. "Wanna scope the place out?" Isabelle looked hopeful. Clary understood where she was coming from. Isabelle and Clary were united in the commonality that they were both taken from their home and thrust in this new, strange world of demons, warlocks, and vampires. In any other circumstance, Clary would have Jem and Will to confide in, but unfortunately, she had no idea how her two best friends were even doing.

Clary sighed and climbed down from her bunk. "We might as well while we can, huh?" she replied and smiled softly at Isabelle. She didn't really know what to think about Isabelle. Back home in Idris, she had never talked to the girl. Isabelle spent a lot of time on her own, and Clary only really spent time with Jem and Will. Neither of the girls really knew how to hang out with other girls.

Together they walked through the ship, spending much of the time in silence. Clary watched as the ship's crew walked by or interacted with one another. They all seemed to know each other well. They had probably known each other for years. Usually many of them had smiles on their faces, and Clary could see the friendly relationships many of them held with each other. Clary scrutinized this because she never would have thought that Shadowhunters could be… friendly.

"So how is everything with Alec?" Clary asked, thinking of the blue-eyed Shadowhunter. He seemed to be one of the angrier of the Shadowhunters on the ship. A permanent scowl seemed to always be affixed on his angelic face.

"Awkward," she laughed in an answer. She wrung her hands together and leaned against the hull of the ship. "Twelve years is a lot of lost time, and he's a stranger to me. We share the same blood, but we have nothing else in common anymore. I mean, what is he even doing with his life now? How did he get here? It's like he was kidnapped and now he's the kidnapper. I just don't get it."

"I mean, he's hanging out with a vampire and is working for a crazed captain." Clary responded as she once again glanced down at her now unblemished arm. She felt like this was some sort of weird dream that started with Madame Dorothea's prediction and would end with her jolting awake in her dimly lit bedroom with her mom telling her to crawl in the cellar for another couple of days.

Isabelle eyed Clary for a moment. She brought her hands up to the necklace she wore around her neck. It was a dark red pendant about the size of a baby's fist that hung on a thick silver chain. Slowly she blinked and dropped her hands. "What if he's not crazed, though?" Isabelle asked as she glanced around the ship. Her eyes darted to each of the Shadowhunters, each of whom seemed to be studiously ignoring the two girls. "The captain, I mean… I don't know how to explain it, but what if they really are protecting us and the world?"

Clary laughed out loud, but stopped immediately when she realized Isabelle was being serious. "Seriously? These are the same people that took and probably killed my brother. We can also add Jem's mom and dad to that list, and Ella, Will's sister. So please tell me how their deaths were protecting them and the world." Clary hated that she was being so demanding, especially since Isabelle was probably the only ally she had at the moment. She couldn't help it though. Isabelle had just found her missing brother. Clary's brother wasn't on the ship, which led Clary into wondering what made Alec worth so much more than Jonathan.

Isabelle opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Simon came barreling towards them, fangs bared. Before Clary could run, he grabbed her and Isabelle's arm. "We need to get you to your room. We're under attack." Blood tracked from his mouth down his chin where his fangs had split his lips, and Clary stared up at him in wonder. She could feel herself crumbling from the weight that this world was, in fact, very real and colliding with her normal life.

"Who's attacking us?" Isabelle demanded, always the brave one. She stomped her feet down and refused to move.

Simon glanced down at her as he licked the blood from his lips. He seemed to think better of dragging her away, and instead he answered her. "Demons, and as neither of you are trained to fight them, the captain has ordered me and Alec to make sure you're safe."

"And our room is supposed to protect us from demons?!" Isabelle thrashed as he began to pull her back to the bottom of the ship.

Alec then appeared by her side and took her from Simon. His pale skin was covered in new tattoos, all of them different spiraling designs. Clary was surprised at how quickly he could acquire so many tattoos. She didn't have time to ask about them as they were pulled down the hallway towards their room. He had a bow strapped to his back and the arrows in a quiver on the opposite side. He was attempting to persuade Isabelle into going back into their room.

"How is a locked door safe from demons? Couldn't they just break down the damn door? I want a weapon, so I can protect myself."

Clary nodded her head in agreement with Isabelle. "I'm going to have to agree with Isabelle on this one. I've never seen a demon, but from what I've read, a door would slow them down for at most a couple minutes."

Alec threw his hands up in annoyance. "The door are warded. They're protected from demons. See these markings? Magnus has done this to all the rooms so we can protect those that can't protect themselves. So get in the damn room now, Izzy." he spat the explanation out through his teeth before pushing both of the girls into the room and slamming the door. Clary barely got a glance at more spiraling marks that covered the door. How had she not noticed them before? Some of them resembled the ones on Alec's skin, but others seemed completely different.

Isabelle huffed and banged on the door. "Alexander Lightwood, let us out this instant! We are not damsels in distress!"

Clary laughed to herself and watched Isabelle at the door. "Why do you want to be out there anyways? We don't know how to fight demons. We don't even know what they look like." Clary said, sitting on Isabelle's bed.

Isabelle looked back at Clary and closed her eyes for a moment. "It just feels like I belong out there, fighting demons. I've always felt like hiding from them was the coward's way out. Don't you feel it in your blood? It's like a surge of fire running through my veins." Isabelle touched the marks on the door and slid her hand down the door.

A resounding thump echoed from down the hall. Clary bolted from the bed and joined Isabelle at the door. Isabelle peered out the window of the door. "I don't see anything." she whispered to Clary. Clary stood on her tiptoes, but she could only barely see out of the bottom part of the window.

"I don't – " Clary began to speak, but shrieked in surprise when something hurtled against the door. She just managed to catch a glimpse of a long, scaled, black body. She heard the scuttling of its legs, but she couldn't see it anywhere. Then it dropped in front of the window, dripping green saliva from its long domed skull. "Is that a giant scorpion?!" Clary gasped, peering at it curiously.

Isabelle held her necklace in her hand, and Clary noticed that it was pulsing a bright red light through her fingers. "It kind of looks like a centipede to me." she mumbled, her eyes scrunching together in confusion.

Before Clary could respond, the tail of the creature whipped forward and slammed into the door. The creature shrieked and fell to the floor, but scrambled back onto its feet, crawling towards the door one again. "Are we sure that these markings will actually protect us?" Clary gulped, backing a step away from the door.

Isabelle frowned, "Alec said it would…"

Together they watched the creature hurtle towards the door in another attempt to get to them, but again, it shrieked in anger and fell away from the markings. Clary was beginning to believe in the magic of the markings, but she still was uncertain about their predicament. "How did it even get down here? I thought they were fighting them!"

Finally, seeming to have tired itself out, it stared at the girls through the window with its cluster of eyes set at the dead center of its long, domed skull. Its black tongue lolled out of its mouth, and its long, thick snout pointed directly at them. Another echoing sound bounced off the walls, and Clary heard someone yell something.

Before the creature could even move, Clary watched a blur of a body with golden hair dart past the window, leap into the air, and land on top of the creature. The creature roared with anger and whipped its tail back and forth. He danced away from the barbed tail before shoving what looked like a glowing dagger through its head. Clary gasped in surprise as black liquid seeped onto the floor and burned into the dagger he was using.

"Dammit," he sighed as he wiped the blade of the dagger on his jacket.

Seconds later, Simon and Alec burst into view. Alec also held a dagger similar to the one that was now in the captain's hand. Alec rubbed his forehead as he looked at the creature. "This is not good." he said to the captain.

The captain sneered back at him, "Thank you for that stunning observation. Hey Simon," he turned toward the vampire, anger glittering in his golden eyes. Simon rolled his eyes as Alec sighed in disdain. The two of the boys seemed less scared of their captain and more resigned to just put up with his attitude. The captain, ignoring the looks of annoyance from Simon and Alec, continued, "Did you know that _this_ is not good?" He gestured wildly towards the creature on the floor.

Isabelle seized the moment to douse her curiosity. "Why is this not good?" she asked delicately, with a confidence that made her seem like she had been part of the conversation the whole time.

The captain froze and blinked at her slowly. Then his lips pulled into a leonine smile. He strode over to the door of their room, and after a moment of attempting to open the door with a key, finally pulled the door open. Together Clary and Isabelle leaned out of the room. "Come on out. We took care of all of the demons." he said flippantly, pulling a long, slender, twig-like item out of his pocket. He began to file his nails with it, seemingly unaffected by the situation now.

"That is a demon?" Clary gasped as Alec kicked it once. "It is ugly."

"Well I doubt anything that comes from hell would be considered cute." The captain responded as he began to file the nails on his other hand.

Alec sighed, "Seriously? Filing your nails with your stele?" Alec, as usual, sounded exasperated. The captain shot him a look of contempt, but Alec ignored him, and instead he turned toward Isabelle. "This is not good because that is a Ravener demon, and Ravener demons are only summoned for one thing: attacking and capturing enemies. Which can only mean one thing, someone is after Clarissa."

"Not just someone, though. Valentine Morgenstern is after Clarissa." The captain amended with a grim smile.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Clary sat in a small chair in the captain's office, barely listening to what the others were saying. Isabelle leaned against the wall, shooting daggers at the captain, her brother, and Simon. "So let me get this straight… you guys _kidnapped_ Clary, so this Valentine guy wouldn't be able to get to her first?"

"Well when you put it like that, it makes it sound kind of silly." Simon shrugged ruefully with a small frown. Clary looked over at Alec and watched as he used the same stick-like thing the captain had been playing with earlier to draw on the captain's arm. As he began to write, the dark, strangely familiar curving marks began to form. Once he finished the marking, it glowed golden before sinking into his skin and completely disappearing.

The captain looked up and met her eyes, smirking at the look of disbelief on her face. "What was that?" she asked, voice filled with apt curiosity.

Isabelle stopped her ranting and looked over at Clary. "What was what?" Alec held the stick in his hand loosely, seeming almost embarrassed to have been caught doing whatever he had just done. The captain on the other hand seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"That was an _iratze_. It's a healing rune." Clary and Isabelle blinked at him uncomprehendingly. When the silence became too much for him, he added, "A rune is something Shadowhunters use to enhance our abilities or help us with certain things. An _iratze_ heals us. This is a Voyance rune. It enhances our ability to use the Sight, which means we can see the glamours of the world and recognize Downworlders easily." He held up his left hand, displaying his tattoo, or rune, of an eye.

Alec sighed and showed his rune as well, but his was on his right hand. "The Voyance rune is permanent and placed on the dominant hand of a Shadowhunter. This," he held up the stick he used to mark on the captain, "is called a stele. It allows us to draw runes."

"Why doesn't Simon have any runes?" Isabelle asked, narrowing her eyes at Simon and raking her eyes over his body. He shrunk away from her gaze.

The captain groaned. "The mundane education system is terrible. What do they even teach you?"

"That demons are bad and we should run away from them." Clary deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. "Same for Shadowhunters."

He laughed condescendingly at her. "Funny… since you are one." He sat on the desk, spinning a globe with a single, long finger.

Her heart thundered painfully in her chest. That couldn't possibly be true. Her mom said that Shadowhunters were murderers, kidnappers, and looters. She had always told Clary how awful of a species of people they were. Shadowhunters were raised as such or kidnapped and made into them, as in Alec's situation. "That – that is not possible." she stumbled over her words, rising from her seat in the chair.

"Say what you want, Clarissa Fairchild, but the blood of Angels runs through your veins. You come from a long line of Shadowhunters. The Fairchilds are a strong family, and what you have been taught about Shadowhunters couldn't be further from the truth. It's true that the men who have attacked your city are Shadowhunters, but they are members of Valentine's cult called the Circle. They believe that the only race that should inherit the earth are Shadowhunters. Valentine has even gone so far to wield the power of demons to destroy mundanes and Downworlders alike." The captain tapped the globe as he spoke, enunciating Valentine's name very carefully.

"Well if I'm a Shadowhunter, then why don't I have those markings? And why have I been living in a… mundane," she tripped over the word, unsure of what it really meant, "city raised by a mother who claims that Shadowhunters are only trying to hurt us."

He shrugged. "I don't have the answer to your second question. Your mother is a Shadowhunter as well. Trust me, I've done my research. Haven't you noticed the thin white scars that trace her body? Odd seeing as how she doesn't fight, right? Or haven't you mentioned seeing the sprites or faeries in the woods when you were a young child, but as soon as you mentioned that to your mom, she banned you from going to the woods since? She has been hiding this world from you in an attempt to protect you from something, but I say the only way to protect you is to train you as a proper Shadowhunter. A Shadowhunter who is raised properly by the Codex." He nodded to Alec, who pulled out two books. Alec handed Clary and Isabelle both a book.

Clary traced a finger over the cover, her finger lingering on the image of the angel on the cover. As if he were reading her mind, the captain said, "That is the angel Raziel. He is the angel believed to have created Shadowhunters by mixing his blood with that of Jonathan Shadowhunter to fight the demons and save the human race. He provided us with the Mortal Instruments: the Mortal Cup, the Mortal Sword, and the Mortal Mirror. Rumor has it that Valentine has been trying to find the Mortal Cup, but we are trying to find it first."

"And this book is a… demon-slaying tip book?" Isabelle asked as she flipped through the pages.

Alec scoffed at her tone. "No, it is meant to teach you all about Shadowhunters, what Shadowhunters really are and what we do, about Downworlders, and the laws of this world. You two are receiving them because starting tomorrow, you will begin training, and you are expected to learn about this world now. We are already losing too much time as it is. We need to have as many uncorrupt Shadowhunters as we can get, but unfortunately for us, that means we have to train all new ones."

Isabelle rolled her eyes at him, but then she grinned at the captain, "So when do we get those marks?"

The captain grinned back at her. "Right now. Alec can give you your Voyance rune, but I'd like a moment alone with Clarissa please. I'll do her rune if you'll just take care of Isabelle's." He sounded almost as if he were asking Alec to cooperate, but there was an almost certainty in his voice that made Clary believe that no one ever questioned what he asked of them.

Alec nodded after a moment of hesitation. His eyes seemed to linger on the captain for a moment too long before whisking Isabelle out of the room. Simon followed quietly behind them, seemingly unsure of what to do. Clary sat back down in the chair and waited for the captain to speak, but he said nothing. He remained sitting on the desk, gazing at her patiently. He had a small smile playing on his lips, but it was barely noticeable.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. She just wanted to go back to her room and sleep. She didn't like the way her world seemed to change every time she saw the captain. Never in her whole life had things seemed to change so drastically in such a short span of time. She had _just_ been kidnapped that morning.

"Don't you want to ask me something?" he questioned, folding his hands over his chest. The cords of his muscles rippled and strained as he moved. Gulping, she averted her eyes quickly. Why couldn't he just be ugly?

Keeping her eyes away from his direction, she replied, "Why does Valentine want me? If he's trying to get this Mortal Cup thing, why would he want an untrained Shadowhunter? I don't even know what this Mortal Cup looks like, so it's stupid of him to think I would know where it is."

The captain sucked in a deep breath, looking as if this were one question he really didn't want to answer. Instead of answering, though, he countered her questions with another peculiar question. "How much do you know about your mother, Clarissa?"

Clary shot him a hard look. "What does that mean?"

He rubbed a hand over his face. "Do you know anything about her past? Does your father live with you? Do you see your grandparents? _How much do you know about your mother?_ " He repeated the last question again as he leaned in towards her, staring at her harshly.

Clary couldn't pull her gaze away from his hard topaz-colored eyes. "I – my father died when I was a baby. I don't remember him any… and well I've never met my grandparents either. I had always assumed they died before I was born. My mom never told me about them. My mom doesn't really talk about herself. It's always been about keeping me safe, and we see how well that played out." Clary muttered as she leaned away from him.

He nodded his head but looked frustrated. He stood up and walked around the desk. He pulled a drawer out and threw something on the desk in front of her. Clary looked down at the photo in front of her, scanning the picture for anything that seemed important. It just looked like a collection of young adults who only looked a few years older than she was. That was when she realized what he wanted her to see. She zeroed in on a girl who looked exactly as Clary did now – her mother. "What is this?"

He gave a strained smile before sitting down in the chair behind the desk. "That is the Circle about 20 years ago when it was formed. They were all Shadowhunters Valentine had used to create his group of followers. This is Lucian Graymark. He was Valentine's _parabatai_ and best friend, and this is Valentine." He pointed to a dark-haired man on her mother's left and then to a white-haired man on her right. Valentine's eyes were dark and piercing, and Clary almost felt as if he were staring right at her. Valentine's arm was thrown intimately around Clary's mother. "From what I have gathered from other Shadowhunters from this time, your mother was married to Valentine when this was taken."

Clary jerked back in surprise. "That's not possible." She laughed and shook her head. "My mom would have told me if she were married before my dad…"

The captain raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you mean like she told you about being a Shadowhunter?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, though her heart ached because he was right. "What does this have to do with anything?"

He leaned on the desk, gazing at her. "If your mother was in fact married to Valentine, then one would believe she would be his weakness." Clary nodded her head in agreement, wondering where he was going with this. "Well he had the Mortal Cup before the Circle disbanded, but when your mother disappeared, so did the cup. I'm assuming she took it before she left him, and that is the one of the reasons she's been protecting you. If Valentine knew about you, which he obviously does, he'd go after you to get the cup. The only thing your mother would give the cup up for is you."

"So now I am a bargaining chip?" Clary huffed impatiently. The more the captain talked, the angrier she got, and she couldn't really see how anything else he could say would make things better.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "Why would we train you if you were just a bargaining chip? We want you to be ready to face him, but it would be irresponsible of us if we didn't at least train you to fight and learn how to defeat him. We don't want to bargain with him. We want to get rid of him. He's a problem to our world, and I know you've noticed that the demons have been getting worse. They're restless, and if we don't find a way to take away Valentine's power, we'll lose way more than you as a–" he scoffed aloud and gave her an irritated look – "bargaining chip to get the cup. You don't even have the Mortal Cup."

"Well how do you know that for sure?" she huffed indignantly.

"Well you've been pretty ignorant of the Shadow World up until now." He answered before standing up and crossing to the other side of his desk again. As he sat down on the top of the desk, his feet bumped into hers on the floor. She jumped back from the contact and glared at him.

"Would you just mark me with that stupid rune, so I can leave?" she snapped as she crossed her arms and looked away from his entrancing gold eyes.

He chuckled before pulling out his own stele. He held out his hand and raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her to give him her hand. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared out of her wits. The idea that all of this was real was beginning to be too much for her. When she first climbed aboard the ship, she was almost able to convince herself that this was all just a realistic dream, but now she was realizing that this was not the case.

The captain noticed her hesitation. "Clarissa, I know this is a lot to take in –"

"Please just call me Clary." she whispered, closing her eyes. She needed a clear head, and with the captain calling her by her full name like her mother did was reminding her too much of what she had already lost."

"Clary," he amended, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I know this is a lot to take in. I know that this can be incredibly scary for someone who never believed in any of this, but despite what you believe, you are stronger than you think. You have the blood of angels in you. You were born to be a warrior." His hand still lingered in the air, waiting for her hand. Shakily, she gave him her hand. He gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze before bringing the stele to the back of her hand. "This is going to sting a little. But it'll be over before you know it."

Clary nodded her head and waited for him to do it. She clenched her teeth and rocked her body a little in preparation for the pain. The captain still had his eyes locked on her, though. He gave her a blinding smile, revealing a slight chip in his front tooth. "By the way, you can call me Jace," he paused as he waited on her to react. "but only in front of Simon and Alec. I don't want the rest of the crew to think I've gone soft for a pretty face."

Clary pursed her lips at him before yelping at the burn in her hand. Jace gripped her hand firmly as he worked on the rune, as if he had expected Clary to jerk back her hand. Of course though, he was right – he was done before she even knew it, and a few seconds later, she raised her hand and she gazed at the black markings of an eye that stared back at her.

* * *

"Will, do you even know how to steer a boat?" Jem looked out at the water disapprovingly as Will pushed the small boat into the water. Will grinned back at him wildly. The freshly marked runes on his neck and arms standing out crisply against his pale skin. Jem marveled at the way the runes seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere on their skin. He was still reeling at the information that Jocelyn had given the two boys.

They were Shadowhunters, born with the blood of angels in their veins and given the powers of runes and angelic magic to help their fight against demons, which were apparently very real and no laughing matter. Jocelyn was also a Shadowhunter, which meant that Clary was also a Shadowhunter, and she was kidnapped by Shadowhunters. Really, it made no sense to Jem, but Jocelyn seemed to know that it would happen all along.

"Come on, Jem. We don't have any time to spare!" Will was crouched in the small boat, his black hair curling wildly against his cheeks from water splashing his face. Jem shook his head ruefully. This was a horrible idea. The boat was tiny, and it probably would barely last a week out on the water. If a storm hit, the two of them were going to be in a rather unfortunate situation.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Jem asked as he tossed his bag of newfound weapons into the boat. Jem wasn't really afraid of dying, but drowning in the ocean seemed a terrible fate.

"They don't have that much of a lead on us." Will looked out past the horizon. He was wearing some of the clothes Jocelyn had lent the boys, a black, fitted shirt and pants made out of a thick, stretchy material. She said it held up against attacks better than normal clothes. His blue eyes matched the waves, and he stared imploringly at Jem.

"Yeah, you're right. They only left a few hours ago." Jem nodded once and climbed into the boat causing water to slosh against his boots.

Will flashed him another brilliant smile and pushed away from the shore with an oar. Then he began a slow paddle away from their home. Idris had become almost a wasteland, but as Jem watched the town disappear, he wondered if he would ever see his home again.

"Cheer up, James. We're just going on an adventure!" Will called from behind him.

Jem spun around and gave Will a half-hearted smile. "An adventure that's surely going to get us killed long before it becomes fun." He brushed the strands of silver hair out of his eyes, and the Voyance rune caught his eye. It was the first rune that Jocelyn had placed on both Jem and Will, and he remembered the dull sting that had accompanied the strange magic. He managed to glimpse at the book tucked away in the weapons bag – Jocelyn told them that they needed to study the book because it was full of the runes they would need to use to rescue Clary. He pulled it out of the bag and flipped through the pages slowly. He paused on a page with the _parabatai_ rune.

"What are you concentrating on so hard?" Will questioned, gazing at Jem with intense eyes.

"I suppose, I'm just thinking about us." He touched the rune on the paper and the matching one above his heart. Jocelyn had explained what a _parabatai_ bond meant and how it would affect their relationship. She told them that the rune would connect them in a way that they had never felt connected to somebody before. It was supposed to make them a stronger fighting pair, and the runes placed upon their body by their _parabatai_ were supposed to be stronger. They placed their loyalty in each other, and pledged themselves to each other until death. Jem could think of no other person he would want to be bound to for all his life. "We will get Clary back, Will." Jem said finally. He knew Will blamed himself for her kidnapping. He knew Will as he knew himself.

"We will, James. And then I'm going to kill the bastard that thought it was a good idea to take her." Will muttered back. James had no doubt that Will would accomplish doing just that.


End file.
